Priceless Pointers For Preparing Your Promotional Video Shoot

Today many business owners are turning to a professional company to help them shoot their promotional videos. It’s currently the most popular way to publicize your business through your website and social media. Here are some suggestions to help you prepare so that the video comes out even better in a shorter time, saving you money and the videographer some effort as well:

Why Shoot a Video?

Ask any professional videographer and he/she will tell you that video is an excellent way to reach out to the public. When it’s done properly it will help you retain regular customers and convert prospective buyers. It’s all about making your brand stand out above the rest, and what better way to do so than by creating a visual vehicle to display your products and services, trustworthy staff and satisfied client testimonials. Not only will it present a behind-the-scenes perspective of your company culture, it will also let prospective clients know how they will be treated. Find out more about the benefits of quality video production.

Preparing For Your Personal Branding Video Shoot

Believe it or not, the most important part of your video will be what happens before the camera starts rolling. The pre-production planning stage is where you will define your brand, your audience and start the creativity flowing before any recording begins. Be aware that if you don’t get it right at this stage, it’s going to cost you more than you intended down the line.

Define Your Target Audience: This is the initial step in the pre-production process. Target your video to a specific buyer persona rather than making it for a generic audience. This will enable you to produce a much more effective video.

Make Your Message Clear: You can always make more than one video about your company, so don’t try to cram too much information into the first one. Use different videos for different purposes. For example, one to promote your products and services, another to introduce your staff, and a different one to present customer testimonials.

Delimit Your budget: You really must begin your project with a guiding budget in mind, and now that you’ve focused on your audience and your message, it should be easy to see how much funding you will need to see it through.

Write a Script: This may change many times before the time for filming comes around, but at least you will have something to work with in the meantime.

Grab Your Audience’s Attention: If you don’t grab them in the first eight seconds, they will be gone. So remember. That’s how long you have to have to hook them with your brand.

Decide on The Length: The best idea is to keep it under thirty seconds, that way you will retain around 75 percent of your viewers.

Create a Storyboard: This tool is not just for cartoons, it makes a great addition to your script so you can actually visualize your screen shots. It makes it easier for you to make adjustments later. You can also add a shooting schedule so that you’ll know if the production is in keeping with your plan.

Studio or Location? This is an important decision. This will largely depend on the type of video you are making. Remember that studios have all the settings and equipment you need right on hand. Bringing the crew and their gear to a location will be more expensive. If you decide on a studio, visit it beforehand.

Choose Your Talent: Now that you have your script all set, your storyboard lined up, a production schedule ready to go and you’ve decided on your location, it’s time to pull in the talent. Whether you’re using professional actors, members of your staff or a combination of both, it’s important to rehearse the lines. Let your actors get familiar with the locations and the set; this will give you plenty of time to recast if you’re not happy with the results.

Choose Your Production Company: You’ve done all the hard work, now it’s time to put your trust in a professional videography company who can use their magic to turn your ideas into a solid video. Make sure to look for companies that have experience in your industry.

Now that you’ve decided that a company video is the right move for your business, start thinking about how you want to move forward with the project. How you want your brand to be portrayed. And how you can best highlight your company’s assets.

Harry Gardiner is a manager for a small charity group who is constantly seeking ways to do tasks faster and better for his team. He also loves to write about what he has learned along the way, posting on a variety of community and business websites.